Yep, I took this picture on the loop just a couple days ago.  Even though it's been quite warm, there is still some ice on the north side of our mountain.

 

Just a reminder, I guess, that it is still winter.  At least the days are getting longer.  Let's be happy about that.

 

HAPPY JANUARY, 2023!!!

 

I don't know about you, but I love decorating at Christmastime. And I don't know about you, but I am a little bit lazy.

 

OK.  I love doing it, but not every month!  So, in the winter, I decorate with snowmen.  That way we have happy decorations for Christmas, and they last until spring. ;).  Get it?  We get to celebrate Christmas and winter.  

 

These Russian nesting dolls are called Matryoshka and were a present to Momma when Will went to Russia in 1994.  I am lucky enough that they live at my house and make us smile every winter.  

 

And the silk poinsettias are good all the way up til Valentines Day.  Hahaha!!!  Seasonal decorations!

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

I just wanted to stop by to wish you a Merry Christmas.  And to let you know that all is merry and bright here, and warming up!!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

Here we are making gingerbread men cookies.  I know we are grown, and have no kids around, but we love doing this every year in December.  

 

Yesterday was a rainy day, so we made our gingerbread men cookies and listened to Christmas music.  Yes, there was also wine involved.  ;)

What a fun thing to do on a rainy day.  Oh, yeah, here is the result:  we made about 80 cookies, less the broken ones, which we ate!!!  

 

 

Next cooking project:  Momma's cheese biscuits.

 

HAPPY DECEMBER!!!

 

 

We are keeping our fingers crossed:  it might snow tonight.  

 

So we went down and painted over Santa and added the giant snowman hat that Patty made.  

 

If it snows, our snowmen will be there to watch it fall.  If it doesn't, then we still have snowmen.

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

Hoping you all have a happy New Year.  

 

Love, Gerry and Jon

 

Not sure what it looks like in your part of the world, but this is the view from midway up the mountain.  Doesn't look much like fall yet.

 

Usually by the third week of October, we are seeing more fall color.  I'm not comparing years, because to do that I'd have to keep better records.  But I do know that the leaf-peepers usually show up for the third weekend of October.  

 

I'll keep you updated on Fall in our mountains.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

 

I don't know how often you get to the top of Five Forks Dr., but you really should go up there.  

 

We walk the loop almost every day, and this is our reward for making it to the top.  This is looking south toward Georgia, and you can see Lake Nottely at about  3 o'clock in the picture.  

 

I love sharing the views of our beautiful neighborhood with you.

 

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

 

Nothing here from the garden;  just another fun cooking project.  Nothing like rainy days to get our kitchen hopping.

 

This is a roasting pan full of Chex Mix.  I know there are tons of recipes out there, but ours is definitely the best, to us!!!  Momma didn't particularly like it, cause we use "too much" Old Bay, but we like it this way.  

 

I'll add this version to the recipe section.  

 

HAPPY COOKING!!!

 

We can really make a mess in the kitchen.  But we have so much fun doing it, that we don't mind the clean-up process.  

 

This is just the stove part.  I'm not even going to show you the island.  It is a total wreck.  Don't care!!  

 

We love this part of gardening:  preserving the best of our efforts.  Come winter, we will have forgotten about all those hours planting, watering, and weeding, and will be grateful for our time spent preserving.  And enjoying our delicious tomato soup.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!